Goal Setting. It's an essential skill that I wish I was taught sooner in life and a great way to give your kids the tools for success. If you are a troop leader, do you spend time teaching your scouts how to properly set goals? It's one thing to set a troop cookies sales goal and it's another to teach them how to obtain that goal.
As my Brownie scout gets older I see her more driven in working towards what she wants. She declared that her goal for gymnastics was to move up to the competitive team. I was pretty darn excited because all I wanted was for Bella to find something she was truly passionate about that she would start setting goals and working hard towards them. We talked with her coach about what specific things she needed to accomplish and tips on ways to make that happen for her. She was given work outs to do at home to strengthen her arms and core and we added an additional gymnastics class each week.
We used the same goal setting skills when cookie season rolled around and she set her goal at twice the amount of the previous year. We discussed her results from the previous year and what her game plan was for this year. I asked her what she planned on doing differently to get greater results and she brainstormed her solution such as adding on extra cookie booths, going door to door in different locations, and asking businesses to contribute to the Gift of Caring program.
Smart Goals
I'm sure we have all heard of them by now but have ya taught your kids? Why not start now?
Specific
What exactly do they want? Create a goal statement that includes a time frame and specific measurement. EX. I will sell 500 cookie boxes by the end of March.
Motivation
This can also stand for measurable. Make sure your child understands the WHY. What is the outcome if this goal is accomplished? Is it saving money for a certain item or is it an academic achievement? How will it make them feel? Knowing the WHY will keep them motivated to carry out their goal.
Attainable
Is this goal attainable? Have you laid out the steps and do you have the tools and resources to reach your goal. Do you have a solid plan?
Realistic
Is your goal realistic? Discuss with your kid if the goal is realistic. We don't want to set them up for failure it there goal is to travel to the moon in the next 6 months. While you want to encourage and challenge them to reach outside of their comfort zone you also don't want them to set a goal you know might not be realistic or age appropriate.
Timely
Have them set a specific time frame in which they want to complete their goal. This keeps them on track and accountable. If we don't set deadlines we will most likely procrastinate, especially kids.
Write out your goal plan!
